Viktor Popkov’s first solo show to open at London’s Somerset House

An exhibition dedicated to eminent socialist realist artist Viktor Popkov, nicknamed the “Dostoevsky of art”, will open next week at London’s Somerset House, featuring some of the artist’s most famous works. Krasnodar-born Popkov, who was prominent during Krushchev’s Thaw in the 1950s, set himself apart from his contemporaries to become one of the pioneers of the the “Severe Style” of painting, which fused Socialist Realism with more modernist styles such as Expressionism.

Genius of the Russian Soul at Somerset House features artworks that deal largely with the issues of vulnerability, fear of death and loneliness, with Popkov’s masterpieces Spring at the Depot (1958) and The Builders of Bratsk (1960-61) among the selection. Several of the works inspired by Popkov’s travels to Russia’s northern region of Mezen are also on display, including his dark self-portrait Father’s Overcoat (1970-72).

The exhibition showcases the work of an artist little known outside Russia, providing an alternative view of Soviet art, which is often associated with propaganda art that came to define the genre. The exhibition is part of the UK-Russian Year of Culture and will run from 22 May to 18 June.